Body-insertable apparatus

Abstract

A body-insertable apparatus including a balloon for storing a medical fluid in a capsule-like casing, and an injection needle including an elastic membrane. The body-insertable apparatus discharges the medical fluid due to contraction of the balloon, applies a discharge pressure of the medical fluid to the elastic membrane to expand the elastic membrane, and projects the injection needle from the casing due to the expansion of the elastic membrane. Further, the body-insertable apparatus has a channel forming unit for forming a channel connecting to the balloon and a channel connecting to the injection needle, and a communication adjusting mechanism. The communication adjusting mechanism adjusts a communicated state between the channels and, thereby controlling the start of medical-fluid discharge operation by the balloon.

1. A body-insertable apparatus having a storage chamber for storing a medical fluid in a capsule-like casing, the capsule-like casing being configured to be wholly introduced into a subject to discharge the medical fluid to a desired region in the subject, comprising:
 a medical-fluid discharger forming the storage chamber that has, in a state where it stores the medical fluid therein, a contraction force for reducing the volume of itself to discharge the medical fluid; wherein the medical-fluid discharger is provided in the casing and discharges the medical fluid using the contraction force; 
 a medical-fluid discharger that is provided in the casing and discharges the medical fluid by causing the volume of the storage chamber to be reduced using the contraction force; and 
 an injection needle that projects from the casing by using a physical force generated by the medical-fluid discharger for discharge of the medical fluid, to inject the medical fluid in the storage chamber into the desired region in the subject. 
 
     
     
       2. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a discharge controller that controls the start of volume change of the storage chamber by the medical-fluid discharger to start the discharge of the medical fluid. 
     
     
       3. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the discharge controller controls so as to stop volume reduction of the storage chamber by the medical-fluid discharger, to stop the discharge of the medical fluid. 
     
     
       4. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the physical force for the discharge of the medical fluid is a discharge pressure of the medical fluid. 
     
     
       5. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger includes
 a medical fluid pressurizing unit that pressurizes the medical fluid by reducing the volume of the storage chamber, 
 an elastic membrane that holds the injection needle, and 
 a medical fluid channel for allowing the medical fluid pressurized by the medical fluid pressurizing unit to flow toward the elastic membrane side, wherein 
 the elastic membrane expands by using the discharge pressure of the medical fluid flowing via the medical fluid channel, and the injection needle is projected from the casing due to the expansion. 
 
     
     
       6. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the elastic membrane uses the discharge pressure of the medical fluid to expand and generate an elastic force, and when the discharge pressure of the medical fluid decreases to equal to or less than the elastic force, the elastic membrane brings the injection needle back to the casing by using the elastic force. 
     
     
       7. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger includes
 a medical fluid pressurizing unit that pressurizes the medical fluid by reducing the volume of the storage chamber, and 
 a medical fluid channel for allowing the medical fluid pressurized by the medical fluid pressurizing unit to flow to an end of the injection needle, wherein 
 the medical fluid pressurizing unit pushes out the injection needle by applying the discharge pressure of the medical fluid to the end of the injection needle. 
 
     
     
       8. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein one end of the medical fluid channel is connected to the end of the injection needle, and the vicinity of the one end of the medical fluid channel can freely extend in a projecting direction of the injection needle. 
     
     
       9. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising an elastic member that projects the injection needle by the medical-fluid discharger and generates an elastic force, and when the discharge pressure of the medical fluid decreases to equal to or less than the elastic force, uses the elastic force to bring the injection needle back to the casing. 
     
     
       10. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the physical force for the discharge of the medical fluid is a pressurizing force for pressurizing the medical fluid by reducing the volume of the storage chamber. 
     
     
       11. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger includes
 a medical fluid pressurizing unit that pressurizes the medical fluid by reducing the volume of the storage chamber, 
 a medical fluid channel for allowing the medical fluid pressurized by the medical fluid pressurizing unit to flow to the injection needle, and 
 a linking unit that links the medical fluid pressurizing unit to the injection needle and uses the pressurizing force by the medical fluid pressurizing unit to project the injection needle, in conjunction with the volume reduction of the storage chamber. 
 
     
     
       12. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an elastic member that generates an elastic force in a direction returning the injection needle into the casing, upon projection of the injection needle; and 
 a cutting unit that cuts the linking unit when the injection needle projects to a predetermined position, wherein 
 the elastic member uses the elastic force to bring the injection needle back to the casing, when the cutting unit cuts the linking unit. 
 
     
     
       13. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger includes
 a medical fluid pressurizing unit which includes the injection needle, pressurizes the medical fluid by reducing the volume of the storage chamber, and projects the injection needle from the casing; and 
 a medical fluid channel for allowing the medical fluid pressurized by the medical fluid pressurizing unit to flow to the injection needle. 
 
     
     
       14. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger is a balloon. 
     
     
       15. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a medical fluid channel which conveys the medical fluid discharged from the storage chamber into a channel of the injection needle, 
 wherein the medical fluid channel communicates with the channel of the injection needle only when the injection needle is projected from the casing. 
 
     
     
       16. A body-insertable apparatus having a storage chamber for storing a medical fluid in a capsule-like casing, the capsule-like casing being configured to be wholly introduced into a subject to discharge the medical fluid to a desired region in the subject, comprising:
 a medical-fluid discharger forming the storage chamber that has, in a state where it stores the medical fluid therein, a contraction force for reducing the volume of itself to discharge the medical fluid; wherein the medical-fluid discharger is provided in the casing and discharges the medical fluid using the contraction force; 
 an injection needle that projects from the casing by using a physical force generated by the medical-fluid discharger for discharge of the medical fluid, to inject the medical fluid in the storage chamber into the desired region in the subject; and 
 a discharge controller that controls the start of volume change of the storage chamber by the medical-fluid discharger to start the discharge of the medical fluid; 
 wherein the discharge controller controls so as to stop volume reduction of the storage chamber by the medical-fluid discharger, to stop the discharge of the medical fluid and the medical fluid channel includes; 
 a first channel connecting to the storage chamber, and 
 a second channel connecting to the injection needle, 
 the discharge controller controls a connection state of the first channel and the second channel, and 
 the medical-fluid discharger starts volume reduction of the storage chamber when the first channel and the second channel are connected to each other, and stops volume reduction of the storage chamber when the first channel and the second channel are closed. 
 
     
     
       17. A body-insertable apparatus having a storage chamber for storing a medical fluid in a capsule-like casing, the capsule-like casing being configured to be wholly introduced into a subject to discharge the medical fluid to a desired region in the subject, comprising:
 a medical-fluid discharger forming the storage chamber that has, in a state where it stores the medical fluid therein, a contraction force for reducing the volume of itself to discharge the medical fluid; wherein the medical-fluid discharger is provided in the casing and discharges the medical fluid using the contraction force; 
 an injection needle that projects from the casing to inject the medical fluid in the storage chamber into the desired region of the subject; and 
 a discharge starting unit that is provided in the casing, projects the injection needle from the casing, and starts a discharge operation of the medical-fluid discharger; 
 wherein the medical-fluid discharger has a medical fluid channel that connects the storage chamber to the injection needle, and 
 the discharge starting unit includes a communication adjusting unit that causes a state, in which a pressing force is applied to a part of the medical fluid channel to cut off a communicated state of the medical fluid channel, to be changed to a state, in which the pressing force is reduced to obtain the communicated state, thereby releasing the contraction force and starting the discharge operation of the medical-fluid discharger. 
 
     
     
       18. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the medical-fluid discharger discharges the medical fluid by compressing the storage chamber. 
     
     
       19. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the communication adjusting unit includes
 a pressing unit that applies the pressing force to the part of the medical fluid channel to cut off the communicated state of the medical fluid channel, 
 a projecting unit that holds the injection needle and uses a predetermined drive source to project the injection needle from the casing, and 
 an associating unit that associates the projection operation by the projecting unit to project the injection needle with the communication adjusting operation by the pressing unit to reduce the pressing force to adjust the medical fluid channel to the communicated state. 
 
     
     
       20. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the medical fluid channel includes
 a first channel connecting to the storage chamber, and 
 a second channel connecting to the injection needle, and 
 the communication adjusting unit applies the pressing force to a region between the first channel and the second channel to cut off the communicated state of the medical fluid channel, projects the injection needle by using a predetermined drive source, and adjusts the medical fluid channel to the communicated state by reducing the pressing force, thereby starting the discharge operation of the medical-fluid discharger. 
 
     
     
       21. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein a predetermined drive source is a shape memory member, and
 the communication adjusting unit uses a driving force generated by a shape change of the shape memory member to project the injection needle, and adjusts the medical fluid channel to the communicated state. 
 
     
     
       22. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the communication adjusting unit includes an elastic member that generates the pressing force, and when the shape memory member loses the driving force, uses the pressing force to store at least the injection needle in the casing. 
     
     
       23. A body-insertable apparatus having a medical fluid and an injection needle in a capsule-like casing, the capsule-like casing being configured to be wholly introduced into a subject to inject the medical fluid to a desired region in the subject, the body-insertable apparatus comprising:
 a medical-fluid discharger forming a storage chamber that has, in a state where it stores the medical fluid therein, a contraction force for reducing the volume of itself to discharge the medical fluid; wherein the medical-fluid discharger is provided in the casing and discharges the medical fluid using the contraction force, and projects the injection needle from the casing by using a physical force generated by the medical-fluid discharger; and 
 an elastic member that generates an elastic force in a direction returning the injection needle into the casing, upon projection of the injection needle, and when the physical force for projecting the injection needle decreases to equal to or less than the elastic force, uses the elastic force to bring the injection needle back to the casing. 
 
     
     
       24. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the physical force for projecting the injection needle is a discharge pressure of the medical fluid, and decreases to equal to or less than the elastic force when the medical-fluid discharger finishes discharge of a desired amount of the medical fluid. 
     
     
       25. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising a discharge controller that controls to stop discharge of the medical fluid, so that the physical force for projecting the injection needle decreases to equal to or less than the elastic force. 
     
     
       26. The body-insertable apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the physical force for projecting the injection needle is a pressurizing force for pressurizing the medical fluid, and the medical-fluid discharger includes
 a linking unit that links the injection needle to the medical-fluid discharger and uses the pressurizing force to project the injection needle, and 
 a cutting unit that cuts the linking unit when the injection needle projects to a predetermined position, to reduce the physical force for projecting the injection needle to equal to or less than the elastic force.